In this latest Q&A, we are excited to shine a light on the invaluable contributions of the Work Learn students in our office. UBC’s Work Learn Program supports and subsidizes meaningful work experiences on and off campus, offering current UBC Vancouver students the opportunity to develop their professional skills in a work environment.
We’re incredibly fortunate to work with students who bring fresh perspectives and dynamic energy to our initiatives. In this feature, we are delighted to present Lisa Kariuki (she/her), who has been our Communications and Engagement Assistant from May 2022 to April 2024.
An International Relations student graduating this spring, Lisa provides insights into her experiences and responsibilities during her tenure, shares her key learnings, and talks about her favorite projects. She also offers valuable advice for future Work Learn students aiming to maximize their experience with Community Engagement.
We’re hiring a Communications and Engagement Assistant for fall 2024!
Are you an undergraduate student interested in learning about building reciprocal partnerships between faculty and communities for joint initiatives?
Now’s your chance to join the Community Engagement team!
The Communications and Engagement Assistant supports CE’s funding programs and communications for CE’s programs, events, and opportunities. Additionally, they create content for CE’s website, emails, and social media channels, and promote community-university opportunities and events to our audiences at UBC and across the province.
This position has a commitment of 10 hours per week and an anticipated start date of September 1.
Learn more about the role and apply by August 19, 2024.
Learn about UBC’s Work Learn Program and consider applying for future work opportunities in our office!
Can you describe your role and responsibilities during your Work Learn position with Community Engagement?
One of my primary responsibilities was managing the Community Partner Help Desk where I facilitated the connections between external community partners and individuals, groups or units at the university to work on building reciprocal relationships, projects and/or events with a just and sustainable focus. My other main responsibility was helping to manage the Community Engagement Network sessions which involved tasks like creating registration pages, managing registrations, and conducting and analysing post-event surveys to inform future sessions.
I also engaged in data management and analytics projects that helped in evaluating our collaborations with community partners to inform possible strategies to help the development of our office’s goal to foster effective community-university partnerships. Finally, communications was another big aspect of my role and I worked in contributing to the creation of content for our newsletters and social media platforms to amplify the stories and work of community partner led initiatives, programs and projects.
Reflecting on your time with us, what was a key learning moment or insight you gained?
Community-university engagement is a never-ending process built on trust, respect and reciprocity. Before this job, my perspective of what universities are and do was limited as it was only informed from a student/academic focus. Working at CE, located in the external portfolio of the university, I have come to learn about the role and responsibility that universities have in the local community. This position taught me that effective community-university engagement requires a continuous commitment to listening, learning, and adapting. It is not just about sharing resources—it is about creating a shared safe space for continuous dialogue to enable meaningful and equitable collaborations between community partners and individuals, groups and/or offices at the university.
Of the projects or experiences you were part of, which one stands out as the most meaningful or your favorite, and why?
Being able to co-facilitate one of the Community Engagement Network sessions on how UBC staff are integrating Indigenous ways of knowing into the community engagement work was one of my most meaningful experiences during my time at CE. During the session we had very important conversations and questions about the role of the university staff in implementing and integrating Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being to community-university engagement work. Co-facilitating the session as a student was a huge step out of my comfort zone and taught me so much about how the university works. I was able to learn how staff at UBC are working within diverse fields towards a shared goal of building and improving the relationships between community partners and the university.
Based on your experiences, what advice would you offer to future Work Learn students to make the most out of their time with Community Engagement?
Always remember that this is a learning opportunity, so prioritise identifying the professional skills you want to learn/enhance. Our office works with many different units at the university and community partners to do diverse work across the province, which creates an abundance of learning opportunities.
Also, do not be afraid to make mistakes! It really is how you learn the most, so remember to ask as many questions as you can, ask for help and seek feedback and clarification whenever you need it.